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Thursday, April 5, 2012

New World & Old World...some clarification.

If I was doing this correctly then the picture below would look like this. (Original here)

After yesterday's review I felt a bit uneasy with how I introduced the month and where we left it. I couldn't really put a finger on it until I reread it and realized that I make a reference to a beer that may be completely unfamiliar to people. There was no suitable point of comparison. Like I mentioned before, Belgian beers are graduate level studies. They pack in a whole lot of awesome to both taste and think through.

So while I had no compunction doing this with other styles of beer up till this time here I feel it is necessary to have the comparison between the "nouveau" Belgian styles being brewed around the world and the classic Belgian styles being brewed in Belgium. So to remedy this we are going to try and line up the classics with the new where possible.

It poured a clear straw gold color with a light fluffy white head. This has a sweet, flowery taste with a some good carbonation to it. It is lighter than you would expect for a beer that packs a good punch at 9.5% ABV. That said you can taste the alcohol during the drink. It is more crisp than smooth with a decent bite to it. Decently hopped, it has a slight bitterness in the aftertaste but it clears off the palate fairly quickly. All that said it does drink very easily.

If you can hold out, this is a beer that will mature gracefully over time. The label on mine said it had two years to it. I feel it could probably double that easily. There is a lot going on in the glass and it is a complex beer that will reward you for taking the time to enjoy it.

Here is what our monk friends have to say about their brew.

Westmalle Tripel is a clear, golden yellow Trappist
beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle (9,5% alcohol). It
is a complex beer with a fruity aroma and a nice nuanced hop scent. It is soft
and creamy in the mouth, with a bitter touch carried by the fruity aroma. An
exceptional beer, with a great deal of finesse and elegance. And with a
splendid long aftertaste.